Second Life (frequently abbreviated SL) is a virtual world, created by its users who are called Residents. It is not a game, although there are games in SL, but unlike video games and MMOs, there are no built-in story lines or levels in SL.
Some people describe Second Life as a new kind of 3D internet where instead of "flat" text based web pages, we navigate virtual places and information and communicate with people in 3D much as we do in "real" life. From a technical perspective, Second Life is a software platform that runs on servers hosting simulations of the ground, sky, water, trees, etc. and the users of the platform build all of the other content that you see, from buildings and chairs, to cars and clothes, to art exhibits, museums, and yes, virtual universities like ours!
Through the Second Life client (similar to a web browser), users can connect to Second Life and log in to explore the virtual world, run, fly, walk, talk, teleport, chat, speak, and otherwise interact in the virtual environment. A user is represented by a digital avatar that can take any shape, from human to animal to something else entirely.
We use Second Life to support classes that use the technology, to support research projects taking place in Second Life, and to create simulations and learning experiences for faculty, colleges, and departments at the university.
Second Life (frequently abbreviated SL) is a virtual world, created by its users who are called Residents. It is not a game, although there are games in SL, but unlike video games and MMOs, there are no built-in story lines or levels in SL.
Some people describe Second Life as a new kind of 3D internet where instead of "flat" text based web pages, we navigate virtual places and information and communicate with people in 3D much as we do in "real" life. From a technical perspective, Second Life is a software platform that runs on servers hosting simulations of the ground, sky, water, trees, etc. and the users of the platform build all of the other content that you see, from buildings and chairs, to cars and clothes, to art exhibits, museums, and yes, virtual universities like ours!
Through the Second Life client (similar to a web browser), users can connect to Second Life and log in to explore the virtual world, run, fly, walk, talk, teleport, chat, speak, and otherwise interact in the virtual environment. A user is represented by a digital avatar that can take any shape, from human to animal to something else entirely.
We use Second Life to support classes that use the technology, to support research projects taking place in Second Life, and to create simulations and learning experiences for faculty, colleges, and departments at the university.
Continue to Chapter 3: Introduction to Second Life - Who Uses Second Life?